Jewish Community Responds To Israel Bond Appeal

May 11, 1988|by DAN PEARSON, The Morning Call

The irony of allegations that Israel is denying Palestinians self- determinati on is that Israel, on its 40th anniversary, still is justifying its own existence as a democratic state, a prominent Israeli statesman said last night in Allentown.

Speaking to 250 people attending a State of Israel Bonds dinner in the Jewish Community Center, Zelig Chinitz said that the refusal of many Arab and Third World countries to recognize Israel officially is a major obstacle to achieving peace in the Middle East.

"We are constantly seeking to legitimize Israel," long after it has become a symbol of hope to Jews and to the world, said Chinitz, executive director of the American Section, Zionist Organization of America.

Israel, a nation of 3.6 million people, governs more than 1.5 million Palestinians who live in land the Arabs consider occupied by the Jews. Nationalism among the resident Palestinians has been flaring periodically for several months.

Chinitz, who was the only Jewish Air Force chaplain in Korea and Japan during the Korean War, said leaders of many Third World countries can never be forgiven for successfully promoting a United Nations resolution in 1975.

"They said that Zionism is racism. That is an obscenity that must be rescinded. They did it because they wanted to undermine the underpinning of Zionism," he charged.

Chinitz, a former director of the United Jewish Appeal in Israel, spoke at a dinner program that included an appeal likely to bring in more than $1 million in Israel bonds to finance development of the little nation's infrastructure. With long-term bonds paying interest in the 7.5 to 8.5 percent bracket, it was announced that several individuals had pledged to make purchases of up to $250,000 as an investment and statement of support for Israel. Others made commitments in a variety of lesser amounts.

It also was a program that honored four members of the Abrams family of Allentown for their outstanding service to Israel through their contributions to Hadassah, State of Israel Bonds and the Jewish Federation. In recognition of this ongoing support, Leonard and Enid Abrams and Joseph and Sara Abrams received Israel's prestigious Heritage Award. Leonard Abrams is first vice president of the federation board, on which he has served for 15 years.

The Abrams family moved to Allentown in 1955, when Leonard and Joseph founded the Fleetwood Shirt Corp. In 1974, Leonard succeeded his father as its president and founded other manufacturing companies.

Frank Concannon, an Allentown financial official, was dinner chairman, and Mayor Joseph S. Daddona brought greetings from the city. They were among many who joined Allentown's Jewish community to celebrate the 40th birthday of Israel that falls officially on Saturday.

Dr. Harold Goldfarb, chairman of Allentown's Israel Bonds committee, told the audience: "We know that Israel will survive only with the help of Jews throughout the world." Noting that half of Allentown's Jews have never known a world without Israel, Goldfarb said it is important to contemplate the years before 1948, when victimized Jews were grasping for a homeland and an identity.

A physician who has toured Israel five times, Goldfarb observed, "Many people in Israel would not have jobs were it not for Israel bonds."

Chinitz, who lives in Jerusalem with his wife and two daughters, said the 40-year history of Israel has been "one long war." As for the civil disobedience being conducted by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Chinitz said that the world news media play up every minor episode in their daily stories and television newscasts.

Charging that Palestinians have developed "new tactics to embarrass and intimidate" the Israeli soldiers, Chinitz said that some of the exasperated, younger troops have over-reacted with harsh measures. "And some have been brought to justice because we do have judicial ethics in Israel. I have seen how the commanders try to instill in the 19-and 20-year-olds the necessity of restoring order without unnecessary violence," he said.

Describing himself as a liberal with a flexible attitude, Chinitz said he looks forward to the day when Israeli soldiers no longer have to police Palestinians with whom they would like to live in peace. "We feel that we cannot stay there indefinitely," said Chinitz, referring to some sections mostly populated by Palestinians.

Promoting the purchase of Israel Bonds, Chinitz said the bonds are the primary way to assist "the highest-taxed people in the world with the highest per capita debt."

More than half of Israel's productive wealth must go for the retirement of debt, Chinitz said, as Israel remains a bastion of democracy and an ally of the free world in the Middle East.

Said Chinitz, "The only answer is economic growth in Israel to keep paying off the debts. Otherwise, Israel will not make it economically and financially. It must be the understanding of the elite American Jews that we are not out of the woods yet."

He added, "It must be a long-term commitment. We must pump funds into Israel, without which the government cannot build the infrastructure."